Harry Verweij, the Ambassador of the Netherlands, and Kristoffer Vivike, the Ambassador of Denmark to Lebanon and Jordan, on Monday signed an agreement for an 8-million-euro contribution from the Netherlands to the Regional Development and Protection Program (RDPP), a multi-donor program led by Denmark with a total budget of 50 million euros. The RDPP will contribute to more self-reliant and resilient communities in Jordan. This will be done by focusing on job opportunities and protection for refugees and vulnerable Jordanian communities, in particular youth and women, said a statement by the Dutch embassy in Amman. In terms of employment, a comprehensive approach will be taken to promote decent and sustainable livelihoods through collaboration with the private sector, civil society and local authorities, added the statement. Regarding protection, emphasis will be put on women’s empowerment, combating child labor, and promoting decent working conditions. In addition, the RDPP aims to strengthen the roles of local organizations in supporting refugees and host communities. The program partners primarily with civil society and non-governmental organizations and national structures through direct funding for their activities while supporting the development of their institutional capacities. Speaking at the signing, Verweij highlighted the importance of this program by saying: “We are pleased to join the RDPP program. Our contribution embodies and combines three key priorities in the Dutch development cooperation program in Jordan: reaching and supporting vulnerable groups, notably refugees, women and youth, promoting job creation and, last but not least, enhancing the role of local actors in the refugee response.” For his part, Vivike said: “The RDPP is an important part of Denmark’s engagement to support Jordanian civil society organizations to improve livelihoods, protection, and job opportunities for both Jordanians and refugees. We are excited that the Netherlands has joined as a donor to the RDPP program. By joining forces, we are able to do even more and to impact positively the lives of refugees and vulnerable host communities in Jordan.” The RDPP was first initiated in 2014 as a response to address the humanitarian and development needs of refugees and affected host communities in the countries neighboring Syria. It is implemented primarily through partnerships with civil society, with a strong emphasis on localization. The majority of the partnerships are directly with national civil society actors, who are encouraged to engage with and capacitate national and sub-national institutions, ministries, municipalities, CBOs, and the private sector. Beyond Netherlands and Denmark, other donors to the third phase of the RDPP include the European Union, Austria, Ireland, Switzerland and the Czech Republic. Denmark is leading the implementation of the RDPP III, which covers Jordan and Lebanon, on behalf of the contributing donors.
Source. Jordan News Agency